Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

The night in the Forbidden City was eerily quiet, the heavy palace walls seemingly isolating it from all noise, with only the footsteps of patrolling guards echoing in the empty palace corridors. Inside the Kunning Palace, candlelight flickered, illuminating Xiao Yanzi's anxious face. She wore a solemn bright yellow phoenix robe, the gold-embroidered phoenix pattern shimmering in the candlelight. The pearls on the Empress's phoenix crown glittered, yet could not conceal the weariness and worry in her eyes.

"Su Peisheng, has the Emperor not returned to the palace yet?" Xiao Yanzi frowned slightly, her voice tinged with urgency.

Su Peisheng hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is still handling state affairs outside the palace. He said that the border war is urgent and he may not be able to return to the palace tonight."

Xiao Yanzi sighed softly, her unease growing stronger. "The remnants of Ulihak's forces have not yet been eliminated, and the war on the border is intense. I am truly worried." She paced slowly, fiddling with the hem of her dress, her eyes filled with concern.

Consort Ling stood to the side, her expression equally grave. "Your Majesty, the situation is dire, and we must devise a solution as soon as possible." She bowed slightly, her face filled with concern.

Just then, Xiao Tao rushed into the hall, her expression panicked: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Young Master Lin and Young Master Zhao were ambushed while investigating the remnants of Ulihak's gang, and Young Master Lin is seriously injured."

"What?" Xiao Yanzi turned around abruptly, the silk handkerchief in her hand falling unconsciously. "Quickly, summon Physician Liu to the Prime Minister's residence. You must save Young Master Lin's life!" Her voice was urgent, her face full of anxiety.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Su Peisheng and Xiao Tao replied and hurriedly left.

Little Swallow paced back and forth in the hall, thinking to herself: "These remnants of Ulihak's gang are indeed cunning. It seems they've already noticed our actions and have begun to counterattack. No, I can't just sit here and wait to be killed; I must take the initiative."

"Consort Ling, immediately summon the palace guards and strengthen the security of the palace, especially Xiao Yanzi's residence. We must not let those villains take advantage of the situation." Xiao Yanzi stopped and looked at Consort Ling with a firm gaze.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately." Consort Ling bowed slightly, turned and hurriedly left.

Xiao Yanzi took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew that as the Empress, she had to remain calm, otherwise the entire palace would descend into chaos. She slowly walked to the window, gazing at the dark night sky outside, silently praying that Lin Yuhang would be safe and sound, and hoping that Hongli would return to the palace soon to deal with this crisis together.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence, a strong smell of medicine permeated Lin Yuhang's room. Lin Yuhang lay pale on the bed, his forehead covered in sweat, his lips trembling slightly. Prime Minister Lin and his wife stood anxiously by his bedside.

"Hang'er, wake up! You can't be hurt." The Prime Minister's wife held Lin Yuhang's hand, her voice trembling with tears.

Lord Lin frowned, his eyes filled with worry: "Madam, don't worry, Physician Liu has already been sent to fetch him, everything will be alright." Although he said this, a hint of unease was revealed in his eyes.

Zhao Xuan stood to the side, his face full of self-reproach: "Uncle, Aunt, it's all my fault for not protecting Brother Lin and letting him suffer such a terrible fate." He lowered his head, his voice filled with guilt.

Lord Lin waved his hand and said, "How can you blame yourself? Those villains were too cunning. You're injured too, go and get the doctor in the manor to take a look."

Zhao Xuan shook his head and said, "My injury is nothing. I need to protect Brother Lin."

At this moment, Physician Liu rushed over and immediately went to the bedside to take Lin Yuhang's pulse. Everyone watched Physician Liu nervously, not daring to breathe.

After a while, Physician Liu frowned slightly and said, "Young Master Lin's injuries are very serious, but fortunately, no vital organs were damaged. With careful recuperation, he should be able to recover slowly."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The Prime Minister's wife wiped away her tears and said, "That's good, that's good. Physician Liu, we're entrusting everything to you."

Physician Liu nodded and said, "Madam, rest assured, I will prescribe some medicine. With timely administration and careful care, Young Master Lin will surely recover soon."

Meanwhile, in a secluded inn in the capital, several men dressed in black were whispering amongst themselves. A damp atmosphere permeated the inn's rooms, and dim lighting flickered in the corners, casting long shadows of the men.

"This operation failed. That kid Lin Yuhang didn't die." A man in black cursed under his breath.

Another man in black sneered, "Hmph, he's just lucky. But we can't let our guard down; they definitely won't let this go."

"So what should we do now?" another man in black asked.

The leader of the men in black pondered for a moment, then said, "Continue with the original plan and find that treasure as soon as possible. Once we have the treasure, we can control the situation." A ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

“But we have no idea where that treasure is. How are we supposed to find it?” A man in black looked troubled.

“Don’t forget, we have an inside man in the palace,” the leader of the men in black said coldly. “He will provide us with clues.”

Inside the palace, the Imperial Garden was quiet, with only moonlight casting dappled shadows among the flowers. Little Swallow was fast asleep in her room, while Princess Hejing, Yongqi, and Qing'er stood guard nearby, watching their surroundings warily.

"Brother Yongqi, will those bad guys come again?" Princess Hejing asked softly, a hint of fear in her eyes.

Yongqi frowned slightly and said, "I don't know, but we can't let our guard down. Her Majesty the Empress has already increased the precautions, and we must also protect Little Swallow."

Qing'er nodded and said, "Yes, those bad guys definitely won't give up easily. We must be vigilant."

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the window, and Yongqi immediately became alert: "Who is it?" He quickly drew the sword from his waist, and Princess Hejing and Qing'er also stood up, looking warily out the window.

However, there was no sound outside the window. Yongqi carefully walked to the window, opened it, and looked out. He saw only silence under the moonlight; there was nothing there.

"Strange, could I have misheard?" Yongqi muttered to himself.

Princess Hejing frowned slightly and said, "Brother Yongqi, it's best to be careful. Those villains might be hiding in the shadows."

Yongqi nodded and said, "You're right, we can't let our guard down." He closed the window again, returned to the bedside, and continued to watch over Little Swallow.

Inside Kunning Palace, Xiao Yanzi was perusing ancient books about the murals of the Shadow Pavilion, trying to find more clues about the mysterious treasure. She sat at her desk, holding a yellowed ancient book in her hand, her brows furrowed, her eyes focused.

"What is the connection between the secret of these Shadow Pavilion murals and that treasure?" Little Swallow murmured to herself. "Why are Ulihak and the others so determined to find it?"

Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a line of text in the ancient book: "A treasure appears, the world is in chaos; the secret of the shadows concerns all living beings." Little Swallow's heart stirred. Could this treasure truly possess such powerful strength, capable of influencing the course of history?

Just as she was lost in thought, Su Peisheng hurriedly entered the hall: "Your Majesty, Prince Hongzhou requests an audience."

Little Swallow paused for a moment, then said, "Quickly, invite him in."

A moment later, Hongzhou entered the hall. He was dressed in a dark blue robe and looked tired, but his eyes revealed a firm resolve. "Sister-in-law, I heard about Lin Yuhang's attack. Is there anything I can do to help?" Hongzhou bowed slightly and asked.

Xiao Yanzi frowned slightly and said, "The situation is dire. Ulihak's remaining forces are still operating in the shadows, and the border war is also intense. I am truly at my wit's end."

Hongzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, I have some friends in the martial arts world who may be able to help us find out about the remnants of the Ulihak faction."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Xiao Yanzi's eyes: "Really? That's wonderful. Hongzhou, I'll leave it to you."

Hongzhou nodded and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best."

At this moment, Consort Ling hurriedly entered the palace: "Your Majesty, another urgent report has come from the border. The enemy's offensive is fierce, and General Zhao Hui requests reinforcements."

Xiao Yanzi's expression instantly turned serious: "What should we do? The court's military strength is limited right now. If more troops are diverted to support the border, the defense of the capital will probably be affected."

Hongzhou frowned slightly and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't I go to the frontier to assist General Zhaohui in the battle?"

Little Swallow quickly waved her hand: "No, the border war is dangerous, I can't let you go on such a risk."

Hongzhou smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, as a prince, it is my duty to serve the country. Besides, I am also somewhat skilled in martial arts, which may be of some help."

Looking at Hongzhou's resolute eyes, Xiaoyanzi hesitated. She knew Hongzhou's mind was made up, and forcibly stopping him would probably be futile. "Alright then, be careful and come back safely," Xiaoyanzi said helplessly.

Hongzhou bowed slightly and said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely return safely."

Just then, a young eunuch hurriedly entered the hall: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."

Xiao Yanzi was slightly taken aback and said, "I understand, I'll go right away." She turned to Hongzhou and Consort Ling and said, "You two go and prepare, I'll be right back."

After speaking, Xiao Yanzi, accompanied by Su Peisheng, headed towards Zhen Huan's palace. Along the way, Xiao Yanzi pondered to herself: Why is the Empress Dowager summoning me at this time? Is it about the border war, or the remnants of Ulihak's forces?

Zhen Huan's palace was simply yet elegantly furnished, with the fragrance of sandalwood filling the air and creating a tranquil atmosphere. Xiao Yanzi entered the palace and saw Zhen Huan sitting on a couch, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, her expression serene.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Little Swallow bowed slightly.

Zhen Huan smiled slightly and said, "Get up and sit here." She pointed to the seat next to her.

Xiao Yanzi sat down, looked at Zhen Huan, and said, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Zhen Huan sighed softly and said, "I have heard about the current situation. The border war is tense, and the remnants of Ulihak's forces are causing trouble in the dark. As the Empress, you must be having a very hard time."

Xiao Yanzi gave a wry smile and said, "It's all because I'm incompetent and failed to handle these matters well."

Zhen Huan shook her head and said, "This is not your fault. These things are complicated. I called you here to tell you that I have sent people to contact some forces in the martial arts world. They may be able to help us deal with the remnants of Ulihak's gang."

A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Yanzi's eyes: "Really? That's wonderful. Your Majesty, we are so grateful to have you."

Zhen Huan smiled and said, "Don't worry too much, everything will be alright. Although Hongli hasn't returned to the palace yet, he must be worried about these things. You two should support each other and get through this difficult time together."

Xiao Yanzi nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhen Huan gave her a few more instructions, and then Xiao Yanzi took her leave. Back in Kunning Palace, the pressure in Xiao Yanzi's heart seemed to ease somewhat. She knew that although the situation remained dire, with the help of Hongzhou and Zhen Huan, things might take a turn for the better.

However, unbeknownst to her, a far greater crisis was quietly approaching. Ulihak's remaining followers had devised an even more insidious plan, and the mole hidden within the palace was about to make his move. A thrilling confrontation was about to unfold in this seemingly peaceful palace…